07/05/2026
As we celebrated the 250th anniversary of a free America, we began loading firework racks at 10:00 a.m. and faced every obstacle imaginable — extreme heat and humidity, sudden rain and fierce winds, multiple fire calls that left only two of us available for wiring, and ambulance calls that pulled two more away. We even had to pause the show at the 10 minute mark when unsupervised children ran toward the display.
Despite all that, we rose to the challenge and still finished in time for our 9:00 p.m. show. It was a great display, and I’m proud of what we accomplished.
A heartfelt thank-you to the firefighters who came in on their day off, and special thanks to Melvin Fulkerson, Mia VanCleve, Mike Ashcraft, Dustin Winstead, Joshua Taylor, Jacob Weaver, Nate Perry, Lee Jenkins, Gregg Bland — for loading and wiring. Thank you also to our local tourism committee for providing the resources that made this event possible. Your support, along with everyone’s hard work and professionalism, ensured a safe and successful celebration.
